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Scientists Confirmed a New DNA Structure Inside Human Cells (sciencealert.com)
Trax3001BBS quotes Science Alert:
For the first time, scientists have identified the existence of a new DNA structure never before seen in living cells. The discovery of what's described as a "twisted knot" of DNA in living cells confirms our complex genetic code is crafted with more intricate symmetry than just the double helix structure everybody associates with DNA -- and the forms these molecular variants take affect how our biology functions...
"It seems likely that they are there to help switch genes on or off," according to Garvan's Mahdi Zeraati, the first author of the new study, "and to affect whether a gene is actively read or not."
"It seems likely that they are there to help switch genes on or off," according to Garvan's Mahdi Zeraati, the first author of the new study, "and to affect whether a gene is actively read or not."
It switches genes on and off one leg at a time.
This is exactly the type of article that keeps you my home page, despite the cesspool the comments section can become when social/cultural issues are involved.
Here, pure-ass geekdom. Ahhhh....
- Hey, little piece of DNA, can you tell us what you're for?
- I'm a frayed knot...
...in your mom!
It's obviously the documentation. The reason it hasn't been found until now is because nobody was looking for it.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
:-;
The cells have inside neurons, DNA, RNA, ...
They are microscopic biological robots.
Have gnu, will travel.
memo groups anyone?
Wondering if there's a relationship between these structures and the tangles that form in phone cords. Mathematically speaking.
RNA structures are already known to do this, they form all sorts of side-chain loops.
DNA also can perform side-chain loops, but usually does not. Self-bonds in the loops (mirror image bonding) make them very weak and subject to breakage.
Regardless, to paint this as some revolution is pretty stupid. We already knew that these were possible and RNA did it all the time.
The article says: "a "twisted knot" of DNA in living cells confirms our complex genetic code is crafted with more intricate symmetry". Knots are never symmetric. They are either right-handed or left-handed.
Slashdot is full of stale perspectives. It's a collection of has-beens and Russian bots.
In Russia, DNA tangles YOU!
This is called itrDNA - "Interfering Tangled Russian DNA". The effect was uncovered by measuring expression levels of the YUGE gene. See the companion papers "Long Term Silencing of MULLER With An siRNA Expression Vector" and "YUGE Is Regulated By Russians" in Nature Genetics.
Short version is that YUGE is influenced by the "Russian" interference. The itrDNA upregulates the production of an siRNA (YUGE) that specifically "colludes" with a not-fully-understood protein called FAKE. The source of the FAKE product is not known, but it can be found floating around. FAKE is recruited by the YUGE siRNA into a trimer (FAKE-FAKE-FAKE) that blocks the initiation complex near the site of genes such as MULLER. The "foreign" hidden Russian cis elements at the beginning of this process had long been suspected, their role was never so clearly exposed before. (This particular itrDNA is tentatively named STEEL because of it's "perverted" yet strong tensile shape; there may be other Russian elements not yet discovered.)
Every time we think we understand the central dogma, along comes a new discovery like epigenetic methylation, siRNA, and now "tangled" regulatory DNA!
Multipass?
"For the first time, scientists have identified the existence of a new DNA structure never before seen..."
and next week:
For the thirty-seventh time, scientists have identified the existence of a new DNA structure never before seen